bitter taste
by fear the unknown
Summary: ClareEli; —Eli knew that life wasn't always going to have to be bitter.


**A/N: Bleck. I was watching Criminal Minds and this came into my head. I hate it, but I want to know what you think. Do you like it? Please review.**

**Words: 797**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. Eli and Clare would already be dating if I did.**

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Elijah Goldsworthy was bitter.

Ever since he was seven, he knew something was up. His mother would leave for days at a time and his father would bring ladies home, which he learned were hookers when he turned ten. When he asked his father why he was bringing them home, he was slapped across the face and told to mind "his own damn business".

By the time he was thirteen, his mother had committed suicide. It didn't hurt him as much as people would think. His mother was never there for him; he just had a grandfather who tried his best to help his grandson and an abusive father. Though, the way her body was slightly gray and very cold laying in the casket, still as can be, he was oddly… intrigued. He would stay up late at night, when his father was out, and go on the computer, often looking up words like "death" and "murder" and "self harm". That was when he started dressing in dark clothing, not caring what he looked like, and wearing his skull ring. He stopped talking to his old friends and would only interact with someone when his grandfather brought him to his mortuary to help people arrange funerals for loved ones and identify bodies.

At fifteen, his father had been killed when he drove off the road into a tree while he was drunk. It happened right by the house. He had been leaving to go to meet another hooker and he was already drunk. Elijah had been looking out the window, like he always did when his father left. He wanted to know when it was safe to go back on the computer. His dad had swerved into the trees (they lived in a secluded area by the woods) and the car hit a branch and caught fire. Even though he hates to admit it now, Elijah watched the flames dance off the car as he thought of his father. He knew he was in the car, but in that one moment, Elijah knew that he was already dead. He knew that his father was going to burn in hell for causing him so much pain. It was only right.

After his father's funeral, Elijah's only legal guardian was his grandfather. He was happy about this because he knew that his grandfather would never hurt him.

He moved to where his grandfather lived and ended up owning a Hearse from the mortuary and he ended up living above it too. He was transferred to Degrassi Community School and was enrolled as a junior. His grandfather decided that Elijah was too formal for him, so he decided to enroll him as "Eli".

Eli knew he was going to make a stand. He knew that there was going to be no one like him at school. Who else would ever drive a Hearse unless there was a body in it?

His first day was uneventful. It was stupid. It was shitty. But his second day was better. At the end of it he ran over something and when he got out, he saw that is was glasses. He looked up and saw a girl, who he thought was very pretty in his opinion, and gave them to her. When she asked if she would see him again, he replied, "Yes you will."

He ended up being her, Clare Edwards, English partner for the semester. He rolled his eyes at the fact when the teacher looked at him, but he wouldn't like to admit that he was overly excited. He was about to kiss her when he grabbed her hands when she was coming at him, trying to get him to scream like he made her do. He smiled, really smiled, for the first time in a long time. Clare looked at him awkwardly and he smirked. This was going to be fun, he had thought.

Eli ended up being put jail for a while after he and the school's bully, Fitz, ended up fighting. Eli wanted to put an end to his bullying and he also ruined Morty. His grandfather bailed him out, but he ended up wanting to talk to Clare when he saw the small red-headed girl standing outside his house, rushing over to Eli and asking him what the hell was going on in his mind.

Eli explained that she was someone very special.

And, even though it had been years since that night, Eli's grandfather knew that she was special. He knew she was special because Eli had taken the time to get her a ring, let her plan the wedding, and have the guts to marry her.

Eli knew that life wasn't always going to have to be bitter.


End file.
